What exactly are “noneconomic damages?”
The pain and suffering you experience after an injury, car wreck, diagnosis, or some other harm can be immense. In many cases, it can be even more excruciating than the physical injuries. Those injuries can cause a complete upheaval of the life you know.
If another’s negligence or other wrongful behavior has resulted in such an injury, you may be able to pursue compensation under Tennessee law. This compensation can include economic and noneconomic damages. What do these noneconomic damages include?
What do noneconomic damages cover?
Economic damages include bills (like medical, prescription, rehab, etc.) and measurable financial losses (like lost wages). However, your injury can and often does include damages that are not as easily measured. That is why you can recover damages for things like:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental and emotional stress, and anxiety
- The loss of pleasure in life, hobbies or activities
- Loss of consortium/loss of spousal relations
For example, if a motorcycle wreck left you or a loved one paralyzed, you might experience the stressors listed above at an unimaginable level. It is an understatement to say such an injury completely changes your life as well as your family’s. That is why it is possible to seek noneconomic damages.
So, how can they help?
No amount of money can turn back time or recover the losses of a life-changing injury. That is not the goal of noneconomic damages either.
This compensation aims to ease the stress you and your family face after a catastrophic accident, obtain some level of justice and help you reclaim control of your life.
One challenge to prepare for
There is no denying how a catastrophic injury changes your life. Yet, proving those changes exist is often the most challenging aspect of seeking compensation. Legal guidance can be critical in this step of the process. So, what steps can you take?
Of course, your medical records and treatment history may provide evidence of your pain and suffering as well. It will help if you keep copies and organize relevant records. However, it can also make a difference if you keep a written record of how the physical injury, emotional stress and pain impact your daily life. Only you can explain just how much an injury has affected you.